Key findings documented in the newly established databases include:
+ Detection of microplastics in Sami rivers and lakes for the first time
+ Gwich'in traditional knowledge tracing back to "Myth Time"
+ Observations of marine species, fish, and bird priorities in West Greenland
+ Two decades of data on pilot whales, marine pollution, and seabirds from Faroese communities
+ Accounts from Russian Indigenous and Siberian communities on tundra fires, lifestyle preservation, and White Sea ecosystem changes
The initiative is part of the Arctic PASSION project under the EU Horizon framework, in collaboration with Snowchange Cooperative. Since 2021, they have worked with hundreds of Indigenous and local knowledge holders to create Event Databases across the Arctic. Many past environmental events, overlooked by conventional scientific research, have now been documented with the support of local communities, who participated as co-researchers and retained full ownership of their knowledge. Consent practices ensured that actions were undertaken with free, prior, and informed consent from all participants.
The databases serve as valuable repositories of climate and ecological changes, with content translated from local languages into English. They include contemporary weather and ecological monitoring, cultural indicators, visual and oral histories, and other resources to establish baselines and historical context for ongoing changes in the Arctic.
The Arctic Seas portal functions as the central hub for accessing the databases, which will continue to be updated with new information throughout the season.
Highlights of the Databases
- Skolt Sami Database: Focuses on the discovery of microplastics in the Naatamo river basin and adjacent lakes and fjords. It also includes ethnobotanical surveys and drone-captured footage of thawing Palsa permafrost.
- Gwich'in Knowledge Database: Compiled from oral histories and photographs dating back to "Myth Time" through the early 2000s, this database captures land-based experiences of climate change.
- West Greenland Database: Developed with Inuit hunters, fishers, and researchers, this database documents ecological and cultural changes through oral histories, video footage, and other Indigenous monitoring efforts.
- Faroe Islands Database: Features 20 years of climate observations, fishing data, and cultural insights from the region's communities, emphasizing the knowledge held by non-Indigenous Faroese people as part of the Arctic PASSION project.
Impact of the War in Ukraine on the Project
Prior to the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, several Indigenous communities in Russia and Siberia were engaged in this effort. Although the war disrupted some partnerships, the information gathered from these communities is presented according to their wishes, preserving the integrity of their contributions.
- Khanty Database: Offers centuries-long observations from Siberia's taiga and tundra, based on oral histories and multimedia documentation.
- Kola Peninsula and Ponoi River Database: Includes cultural and ecological data from the region's herders and fishers.
- Chukchi and Yukaghir Database: Documents environmental changes in the Kolyma River basin, providing insight into Northeast Siberia's shifting landscape.
Additional reports from communities in Unalakleet, Alaska, and Dease Lake, Canada, are forthcoming and will be available on the Arctic Seas portal.
Related Links
GRID-Arendal
Snowchange Cooperative
Arctic Seas portal
Beyond the Ice Age
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